I worked at Starbucks – nine signs you’re about to get a bad coffee and the worst time of day for a certain drink

A Starbucks barista shared a list of signs that customers are likely to have bad drinks.

Barista Dylan Clare, who worked at Starbucks for over a year, covered the mistakes and misunderstandings that can lead to the wrong drink order and shared tips for avoiding them.

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Dylan believes it’s unrealistic to expect the perfect drink every time, but he believes that sometimes bad drinks can be avoided by taking proper precautions.

“Sometimes the signs are right in front of you, and you can adjust your expectations or get out of there before you waste time and money,” he said.

The first indication, he says, is that enthusiastic baristas don’t usually make good drinks.

“If they look overwhelmed, they’re most likely not thinking clearly,” Dylan said.

“If the barista is visibly panicked, they are more likely to make mistakes.”

Another tip is specific to dairy drinks.

He advised avoiding dairy drinks at Starbucks where “the espresso machine yells loudly.”

The barista said steaming milk for a latte or cappuccino takes skill and the sound is a great indicator that it’s not done right.

“Using dairy-free milk often causes screaming, which could also indicate that the barista didn’t aerate the milk enough before putting the steam wand into the pitcher. ‘ he said.

He also pointed out that one of the signs to look for during rush hour is employees doing simple tasks such as refills instead of helping make drinks.

Another tip offered by a former barista is to avoid ordering drip coffee from chain stores in the afternoon.

“Starbucks closes most of its operations by 10 a.m., so many stores stop brewing multiple types of coffee by noon,” he said.

Business slows down in the afternoon, so pots of drip coffee are more likely to be stale than freshly brewed.

“But if you want to make sure you get a fresh cup in the afternoon, you can ask the barista to make individual pour-overs,” Dylan advised.

Other tips included ordering drinks on the Starbucks app. For example, I’ve accidentally removed the wrong ingredient in a drink, or even ordered cold foam or shaken espresso on my mobile.

“The longer these drinks sit, the more bubbles can melt or seep into the rest of the drink,” he explains, advocating against mobile ordering of cold foam and shaken espresso drinks. I advised you to

“When I want a sweeter drink, I’m often asked to add a drizzle of caramel, but it’s actually the vanilla syrup that gives the drink its sweetness,” he added.

Another tip is to speak to the barista in Starbucks language.

“If you order something and the barista looks at you in a confused way or tries to ask you a lot of clarification questions, you may not be using the right words to order your drink. I have.

Last but not least, Dylan advised all his customers to be kind to the people who make their drinks.

“Baristas rarely make bad drinks on purpose, but they definitely take great care when making drinks for kind patrons or customers who politely ask for help,” he said.

“If you’re not happy with a drink anyway, don’t be afraid to ask the barista to remake it. It’s Starbucks policy to get it right the moment. Don’t be rude.”